Obama to embark on defense of his foreign policy

May 25, 2014
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President Obama / J. Scott Applewhite, AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

President Obama is preparing a series of speeches defending his foreign policy, starting Wednesday with the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The speech will outline why the right foreign policy "is one that is both interventionist and internationalist, but not isolationist or unilateral," the White House said in a statement.

Obama will follow up Wednesday's speech with a series of speeches that include remarks during an upcoming trip to Europe.

In early June, Obama will visit Poland to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the end of Cold War, Brussels for a Group of Seven summit with global allies, and Normandy, France, for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that led to victory in World War II.

Critics and other Republicans have accused Obama of foreign policy weakness in dealing with Russia's incursion into Ukraine, civil war in Syria, and the geo-political challenges of China.

Even some supporters, meanwhile, have accused Obama of being overly aggressive when it comes to counter-terrorism -- particulary drone strikes -- and National Security Agency surveillance policies.

The White House said that "as we reach the end of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, it's a natural point to describe how we see our strategy moving out of this period of war, both in terms of counter-terrorism, and also in terms of our broader priorities around the world."

Obama will "lay out his broad vision for U.S. foreign policy and our role in the world," the White House said. "There's a lot at stake and now is the right time for this speech."

During an April news conference in the Philippines, Obama said a primary goal of his foreign policy is to avoid major errors.

"That may not always be sexy," Obama said. "That may not always attract a lot of attention, and it doesn't make for good argument on Sunday morning shows. But it avoids errors. You hit singles, you hit doubles; every once in a while we may be able to hit a home run."

In his West Point remarks, Obama also plans to discuss how the terrorism threat has changed. In addition to al Qaeda, the U.S must confront de-centralized terrorist groups that pose threats across the world, the White House said.

The goal is to "use all the tools in our arsenal without over-reaching," the White House said.

Foreign policy also covers a variety of economic issues, including maritime rights and free trade.

Obama's aides will be following up Wednesday's remarks with foreign policy speeches in the weeks ahead, the White House said, including Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

"While Obama has followed through on his pledge to end America's wars, some foreign policy analysts argue that he has over-corrected and his aversion to military action makes it harder for the U.S. to levy credible threats that force international foes to change their behavior. ...

"The president is expected to expand on remarks he made last month at a news conference in the Philippines, when the extent of his frustration with his critics boiled over. He specifically targeted those who are quick to call for U.S. military action, arguing that they had failed to learn the lessons of the Iraq war.

"'Why is it that everybody is so eager to use military force after we've just gone through a decade of war at enormous costs to our troops and to our budget?' he said. 'And what is it exactly that these critics think would have been accomplished?'"